10 Differences Between Middle School and High School

We know that high schools have higher enrollments than middle schools, so it stands to reason that the individual classes are going to get bigger, too. Student-to-teacher ratios vary widely across the country, but in general, high school classes are larger than middle school classes. It might not be much, but it does make a difference. The jump from a 15-student class to one with 20 kids doesn't seem like that huge of a deal, but it does result in things feeling a little more impersonal and less one-on-one interaction with the teacher. There's definitely a lot less hand-holding in high school -- older kids are expected to be more responsible and independent, so they (in theory) don't need as much attention from their teachers. And a kid who's not quite ready for the task can end up falling through the cracks.

The Graduation Rate

The U.S. high-school graduation rate is between 68 and 72 percent. Nationally, 72 percent of girls graduate, as opposed to 65 percent of boys [source: Bennett].